Children at Play: Claude Stephens on Nurturing Free Play in Nature

Earth and Spirit Podcast

In honor of the Earth & Spirit Center’s upcoming summer camps, we’re replaying an episode from the archives, about the importance of nature-based free play. Claude Stephens is the Facilitator of Outreach and Regenerative Design for Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. He’s also the director of Bernheim’s Children at Play Network, an initiative that helps connect children to nature through free play. This conversation explores the importance of free play in nature as an engine of inspiration and imagination, empowerment, equity, and efforts to sustain healthy communities and landscapes.

RESOURCES:

Earth & Spirit Center: https://earthandspiritcenter.org/

Bernheim Research Forest and Arboretum: https://bernheim.org/

Children At Play Network: https://childrenatplaynetwork.com/